I'm new to bass playing (6 months). I have a Fender Mex P-Bass and an Ashdown Mag 250 Combo. I want to achieve more sustain when I playing slow, simple songs - do I need a compressor pedal? If so, which one?
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Sustain
- Thread starter Spirit Fingers
- Start date
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
- 9,737
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- Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
Having a graphite neck can help.
I don't know of any effect that will give you more sustain (a compressor can give you a sense of more sustain, but the settings you will need to use to achieve that will suck your tone big time).
I don't know of any effect that will give you more sustain (a compressor can give you a sense of more sustain, but the settings you will need to use to achieve that will suck your tone big time).
Try playing more over the neck of the bass. Play between where the neck joins the body, and where the end of the fingerboard is. That area will give you a smoother, fatter ballad type tone, and will help with sustain. Playing in that area gives the notes more of a swell and will make the note ring more, hence more sustain.
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
- 9,737
- 310
- 49
- Disclosures
- Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
That is an option, but it could throw off the other techniques that he is already comfy with. It is easier to learn one new technique or modify a technique than to have to change every different technique.
A lot of people confuse tone with sustain.
You rarely play whole notes @ 60 bpm, and sustain is not really an issue when you play 8ths bass lines.
You rarely play whole notes @ 60 bpm, and sustain is not really an issue when you play 8ths bass lines.
I notice my only neck-through (Yamaha TRB5-PII) seems to have noticeably longer sustain than my eight bolt-ons.
A compressor can increase your sustain. But, as already mentionned, it will affect your tone. Especially, as the natural sustain of your instrument decreases and the comp takes over, a noticeable amount of background noise will be heard. (If you want, it is the equivalent of turning up your volume as the note becomes quieter.)
If you really want sustain, you'll probably eventually have to think about getting a new bass.
-Neckthrough can help, but the 3 elements that really make for the best sustain are : graphite necks, woods with lower density, and the absence of a head (headless basses).
I'm a sustain freak myself. And I'm blessed because my headless Axstar sustains forever.
Lately, I almost bought a Steinberger XQ5--headless with a graphite neck. I finally changed my mind because I didn't like how punchy and bright the sound is on graphite. So be careful with that if you don't like that type of attack.
In the meanwhile, try a compresser to see if it does it for you, and try to play nearer the neck like Nick mentionned.
If you really want sustain, you'll probably eventually have to think about getting a new bass.
-Neckthrough can help, but the 3 elements that really make for the best sustain are : graphite necks, woods with lower density, and the absence of a head (headless basses).
I'm a sustain freak myself. And I'm blessed because my headless Axstar sustains forever.
Lately, I almost bought a Steinberger XQ5--headless with a graphite neck. I finally changed my mind because I didn't like how punchy and bright the sound is on graphite. So be careful with that if you don't like that type of attack.
In the meanwhile, try a compresser to see if it does it for you, and try to play nearer the neck like Nick mentionned.
Large gauge roundwounnd strings
Leo Quan Badass bridge
High(er) action
Thats what I use...
Alex
ps. My DBX 163x helps a littlle too
pss. this thread should be in setup...
Leo Quan Badass bridge
High(er) action
Thats what I use...
Alex
ps. My DBX 163x helps a littlle too
pss. this thread should be in setup...
Spirit Fingers' question pertained to sustain through the use of effects. Despite the recommendations of adjusting the setup, the original question stands and I feel this belongs here.
